Everything I'm Not
by Fruitey
Summary: After losing a bet, popular Bella Swan is forced by her friends to go out with loner Edward Cullen. He's been teasing her since day 1, so she's convinced it's the ultimate torture. When sparks fly, will Bella risk her reputation to date Edward, for real?
1. Chapter 1

**I know, **_**another **_**story? After you have like a gazillion you have to update? I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist! So enjoy and review! Let me know if I should continue or if it sucks. And now, for your feature presentation.**

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

I couldn't believe I'd agreed to this. Not only was I practically offering to completely mortify myself in front of the whole school, (more than usual, anyway), but for what? If Emmett hadn't placed the bet in the first place, everything would be okay because none of this would've happened.

It was set at lunchtime. Because of typical Forks, Washington weather, we at Forks High School were forced, unsurprisingly, to eat inside again. In my old school in Phoenix, the student body ate outside almost every day, so we could soak up as much sunshine as possible. Plus the teachers seemed a bit anxious to all but throw us out of school any chance they got.

I'd arrived in Forks not four months ago, and gained a tremendously shocking amount of popularity in that short time. I already had a few admirers that I felt too guilty to reject, so I'd already gone through Eric, Tyler, and _Mike..._it was a humiliating aspect to say no to Mike, since he asked me when nearly the entire school was watching. So yeah, I had a few flings, but nothing _real_. Not a real relationship that might make it a little longer than three weeks. Something pure would be nice, but beggars can't be choosers.

Anyway, I was minding my own business, setting my tray down at our usual table. Alice, my best friend, took her usual seat next to me, as did Rosalie on my other side, and everything was going great. Alice had just announced another official crush of hers, the lucky man being none other than Jasper Hale, and Rosalie was asking suggestions for her date with Emmett tonight. Unlike me, Rosalie had a real, long-lasting boyfriend. Although he was a goofball, he was really nice and funny, and he was Rose's true other half.

Emmett had come to the table then, Jasper following closely behind, a little shyly since Alice had asked him to sit with her at lunch. I smiled at them easily, undisturbed by the boys' presence. They were just boys after all, another gender to the human race. Some of the girls in my grade got all worked up over guys, but I didn't mind them—they were just people.

Jessica Stanley, an unfriendly acquaintance of mine who'd first tried to befriend me because of my popularity, shot an annoyed look my way. A jealous look, as Alice would call it. Rumors were spreading that she had a thing for Mike before he hooked up with me.

"Hey Rose," Emmett said, winking at her. Rose giggled and winked back, and I sighed in happiness. They were so cute together. Jasper and Alice were laughing about something, Alice making drastic hand movements, when suddenly she turned to look accusingly at me.

"What?" I blurted, startled by her abrupt look. Alice laughed musically.

"Nothing, nothing. I was just saying to Jazz here that...well, now that you're not dating anyone—"

"Oh no, no, no," I cut her off, my eyes widening as I realized what she'd been about to say. Alice had an obsession with making no one feel left out, and she somehow miscalculated and thought I was lonely without a lover.

"Bella, c'mon! Don't be so stubborn!"

"I'm not stubborn!" I argued pointlessly.

"If you weren't stubborn, you'd let me at least finish my sentence." Alice said smugly. I shook my head and stuck my tongue at her like a child.

Alice frowned at me, but two seconds later, like a light bulb had suddenly flickered above her head, she started grinning maniacally, and I gulped. Most likely she had a very dangerous plan under her sleeve, and I really didn't want to find out. She darted to Emmett's seat and whispered something in his ear. Emmett grinned, looking at me, and nodded. I huffed in frustration—they always ganged up on me.

"So, Bella," Emmett started, like he was making a business deal with me. "I'll make a bet with you."

My eyebrows furrowed. "What kind of bet?"

Silly me to think it _didn't_ have something to do with guys.

"I can't tell you unless you agree first," Emmett said, his grin multiplying.

"No way." I said at once. I knew I'd regret that decision the moment I heard the bet.

"You sure you don't want to hear it? I mean, knowing you, your curiosity is probably bigger than your common sense."

"So you're saying it's common sense to avoid this bet? Thanks for warning me, Emmett."

Emmett rolled his eyes at me. "I'm _saying_, you should agree now before we use force."

"Force? Like power rangers force?"

"Like Alice-is-taking-you-shopping-after-school-force."

I glared at them. "That's not fair though! Either way it's a lose-lose situation."

"Which is why you should agree to the bet, because maybe it's not as bad as you think."

"And maybe its some evil scheme you two have concocted to ruin my perfectly good life."

Alice shrugged. "You won't know unless you take the risk." She quoted me, since that's what I'd said to her when she was unsure of asking Jasper to sit with her. I glared at her.

"I'd rather not."

Alice huffed, all signs of joking diminished. "Listen Bella, we can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way. Either way—"

"Either way, you're going to agree to this eventually, so why waste time?" Emmett interceded, finishing for her.

I clenched my fists at my side, forgetting about my lunch.

"Fine, tell me the stupid bet."

Emmett gave Alice a high-five and laughed.

"_Finally._" Emmett said. "Alright. I bet you can't not trip in gym. If you don't, well, congrats. Alice will stay off your back. But if not..." his voice lowered dramatically. "You have to go out with someone of our choice."

Alice's well pronounced smirk grew wider as she caught the hesitance in my eyes.

"What are you getting out of this, Emmett?" I stalled.

"Alice is treating Rose and me out," Emmett shrugged. Figures. Alice's family had an unlimited supply of money, so much that she threw it around religiously, and I wasn't surprised Emmett would take that deal. I growled at them.

"No way—this is stupid. I'd be an idiot to agree to this." I huffed.

"You already agreed." Emmett pointed out.

"But I didn't have a choice," I tried.

"There's always a choice, Bella. You could've come up with a brilliant compromise, but you didn't." Alice chimed in.

"I didn't shake on it," I hacked my brain for something, anything, that could pass as an excuse. "It's not official unless you shake."

"Nice try, Bella." Emmett said. I crossed my arms, about to protest, but thought better of it.

"Who's the guy?"

Alice narrowed her eyes at me. "Lunch is over, Bella. Good luck in gym."

And she walked off with Rosalie gushing at her side, Jasper and Emmett trailing after them and shooting glances my way. I sat there for a few moments, too angry to get up. I hadn't even agreed, dammit! Well, let them have their fun. I would just go to gym as if the bet hadn't even been voiced. I knew what they were doing, after all. By putting the thought of not-tripping in my head, I'd most likely trip _more_, 'cause I was trying not to. But I would ignore their bet and act like I normally acted in gym and hope for the best.

I growled and got up. No matter how angry I was, I was much too cowardly to risk being late for class. I had Biology, which didn't help my mood. It darkened even more when I thought of who I'd be sitting next to...didn't I have enough to deal with without _him_?

I sat next to Edward Cullen in Biology. Unlike most of the boys at Forks High, Edward wasn't very nice to me. Actually, that might be an understatement. He always taunted me and got under my skin, which, trust me, was not fun. He was arrogant, he pointed out my flaws, and was just so _mean_. And I was so lucky to be the only one he paid attention to—throw the confetti! I trudged to Biology, now in a worse mood than usual thanks to Emmett and Alice.

It's weird to think that Alice and Rose agree how hot he is. I mean, honestly. The day I thought of Edward Cullen's messy bronze hair as "hot" and his annoying green eyes "penetrating" was the day I flung myself off a cliff, or turned myself into a mythical creature.

"Hey Bella," Edward smirked at me, cracking his knuckles. I cringed. At the beginning of the year, when I'd been tricked into thinking he was an okay guy, I'd let it slip how much I hated the sound of cracking knuckles. It gave me the shivers. Now whenever I came in the room, he started cracking them. Hoorah.

"Edward, I'm not in the mood," I told him, throwing my books on the desk for emphasis. Edward grinned.

"Why? Did you and Mikey get in a fight?" Edward asked, clearly out of the loop. Mike and I had broken up a week ago—but I didn't expect him to keep up with that stuff. He was about as interested in school gossip as I was.

I ignored him, twiddling my fingers impatiently as I waited for Mr. Banner to get in the damn room.

"Ooh, she's not talking. Maybe she tripped and hit her head again." Edward said breezily. I glared at him.

"For your information, asshole, I have enough problems on my plate without receiving idiotic comments from you." I whisper-shouted frostily.

Edward leaned in. "Why are we whispering?" he whispered.

I took my binder and whacked him on the arm, but it hit his elbow instead. Edward's eyes danced—he was obviously enjoying my chipper mood.

Luckily, Mr. Banner finally entered, and Edward shut up. Thank god.

The rest of the day passed quickly, and the dreaded end came. Gym this period.

Of course the bet was on my mind in gym. Since it was January, we played basketball indoors. Because there was an uneven amount of people, we rotated who played. I stumbled over my feet as people ran for the ball. I stayed out of their way, smiling as I realized Emmett had said _tripped_, not stumbled. Maybe this would be easier than I thought. I could get through one period without tripping, right? Maybe I got myself worked up for nothing—it wouldn't be the first time. I looked around the gym, not wanting to be associated with the sport at all, and caught sight of a figure on the benches, staring into space. I recognized the untidy bronze hair and rolled my eyes. He was listening to an iPod. I ground my teeth together—why should he get to skip gym while I had to endure it?

While I was preoccupied, it happened.

Someone stuck his or her foot out—Jessica Stanley, I later found out—and that was that.

I tripped.

Alice, who was in my gym class, laughed at me from across the gym while she skillfully handled the ball.

I was screwed.

--

Gym flew by after that. I rushed out, eager to escape Alice and Rose before they could rub it in my face. I couldn't see them anywhere, so I sighed happily and went to my locker to get my books. My short good mood disappeared when I realized I had Spanish, my next class, with them too. I groaned and opened my locker to get my books as a yellow sticky note fell out.

_Bella:_

_Just wanted to rub it in your face a little. Have fun with Edward Cullen tomorrow at three-o-clock. He'll be waiting, we'll be watching, and you'll be asking him out. Lots of love,_

_Alice, Rose, & Emmett._

_P.S. Don't blame Jasper for any of this. It was clearly our doing._

Dammit!

XD

**BxE soon, stay tuned!**


	2. Chapter 2

Another player from the opposing team was already sitting, watching me

**Alrighty! I'm updating, and it wasn't **_**that**_** long of a wait, was it? Anyway, thanks to those who reviewed, you made my day! Lots of questions aroused, not too many answered in this chapter! Hope you enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I don't own _Twilight._ I do, however, own the plot of this story :)

I was positive that I'd make a hole in the floor from all this pacing. That's what I'd been doing for the last hour, anyway—pacing. Screw going to class right now—I needed my non-academics-sized brain to get me out of this situation.

How could Alice and Rose _do_ this to me? Didn't they know what an obnoxious, tatter-brained weasel he was? No matter what they said, Edward Cullen was not hot, gorgeous, sexy, cool, or alluring. Never was, never would be! I was not asking him out against my will—you might as well turn me into a vampire first or something equally ludicrous. Where were their brains? Didn't they notice how evil Edward was? How he always found the right thing to say that ruined my entire day?

_Damn_ it! You'd think by now all the steam would run out, and I'd stop pacing out of anger and just sit and think. I guess I was more stubborn than I gave myself credit. I smiled in anticipation as I imagined Alice and Rose sitting in Spanish, waiting for me, only to find I wasn't coming. That'd be one huge shocker to them, all right. I never skipped class, like the good girl I was, until now.

I couldn't concentrate. There were so many cons to this I didn't know where to begin. Firstly, I wasn't conceited; honestly, I hated people who acted like they were better than everybody else. And I didn't believe in "populars" and "geeks" because labeling ticked me off. But...just in this case, if you really thought about it...what would people think if I, Bella Swan, asked out the loner, Edward Cullen? People would gossip, and whisper, and laugh in my face. My self-esteem was already paranoid enough—why have it suffer more? Of course, they'd talk about Edward too, but nobody really paid attention to him, so the attention would be focused on me. Hallelujah.

I huffed in frustration—I was getting nowhere. Emmett and Jasper would hunt me down soon enough, if not before Alice and Rosalie did. Tomorrow, at the end of the day, my life was over. _Morte_. No more.

"Hey sunshine," A startlingly familiar voice came from behind me. I whirled around, having been caught off guard, and managed to slip on my ankle. I narrowed my eyes—this day just had to get _worse_.

He laughed but made no movement to help me, which was expected. I brushed myself off, ignoring him, and grabbed my props—my unused Spanish books.

"What are you doing out here?" Edward asked, still chuckling. I ignored him and started walking the other way, my books firmly against my chest.

"You're not..._skipping class_, are you?" Edward said, sounding genuinely shocked but also holding that hint of cheerful teasing in his voice. I growled and walked faster.

"Did you?" Edward followed me, oblivious. "Did the infamous Bella Swan, Goody Goody of the year, actually _skip class_ today?"

"And why are you so interested in my personal life, Edward?" I replied frostily, finally stopping to face him. "Why are you always trying to torment me? Do you think of ways to embarrass me every morning, concoct evil schemes at night, and put them into action at school?"

"I don't try to embarrass you, Bella," Edward said. "It just works out that way."

I ground my teeth together.

"Anyway, _are_ you skipping? And why now, when you were headed for the Perfect Academic Achievement Award?"

"Maybe I should ask you the same question," I spat, acting more uncivilized than usual because of the nagging anger I'd yet to get rid of. Though all that pacing would've done the job.

"Or maybe you're just avoiding _my_ question," Edward mused, putting a thoughtful finger to his chin. I scowled at him and started walking again, not sure where I was going.

"Well, what did you do while skipping class? Surely you didn't stand outside of Spanish the whole time, flaunting your sneaky ability while the teacher looked away."

"You're a freak," I said, too absorbed in my edginess to notice how he'd known what my next class was.

"You could've ditched with me, you know. My car has awesome reception." Edward went on, as if I'd never spoken.

"What are you implying, then? Is that what _you_ do when you skip class? Fool around in your car?"

Edward made a gagging sound. "You've a dirty mind if that's the first that comes to mind. I was just suggesting listening to music in my car—that's what I always do. It calms me down and helps me sort things out better. That is why you ditched, right? To sort some things out?"

Leave it to Edward to have my cheeks betray me. I blushed at his comment, but quickly hid my face behind my books so he couldn't see it.

He caught it.

"Don't be embarrassed, that's what all you royalties think when someone mentions a car." He joked.

"Royalties?" I gasped.

"You know, queen bees. Populars."

"I don't appreciate being labeled," I retorted, a bit shocked that Edward had come to the conclusion of me being so shallow, so disgusting...I felt a pang of shame hit me.

"I...I didn't mean what I said about fooling around...it just came out..."

Edward shrugged it off. "No biggie. Like I said, it's natural for you guys to think like that."

"Think like _what_?" I shouted, all the days' stress finally catching up to me. "What exactly do I think like? I'm not your average idiotic teenager, Edward. I didn't mean what I said—you shouldn't judge people like that."

"Oh, like the way you 'don't' judge me?" Edward snapped back, all traces of joking gone. "You think you're so perfect, so innocent, like I don't sense you and your idiotic friends laughing at me? And _I'm_ supposed to apologize because _I_ judge people now?"

"What? I—me and my friends never laugh at you or judge you! What are you talking about?"

"You're such a hypocrite, Bella." Edward's eyes locked with mine. I turned away, tears—of anger or sadness, I'm not sure—starting to brim over. I didn't say anything, just walked the other way. I'd had enough.

"Wait, Bella," Edward called after a moment, but I didn't stop. Instead I walked faster before breaking into a sprint, trying to outrun all the problems I couldn't control.

--

When I got home, I ignored Alice and Rosalie's texts, calls, and voicemails, and concentrated on a good night's sleep. I needed it. I prepared a leftovers meal for Charlie, not feeling hungry myself, and escaped into the confines of my room. I blocked out all thoughts and gratefully sank into unconsciousness.

The next day came quickly. I tried hitting the snooze button on my alarm when it went off, but accidentally knocked it off my bedside table. The loud noise woke me up, so I groaned, showered, and got dressed. Charlie was already at work, so I was free to sulk around the house. Maybe I'd fake sick today, to escape school—I'd already ditched, so there was a first time for everything. But no, I couldn't ignore my studies just because of the recent chaos.

The phone rang, making me jump. Charlie didn't have Caller ID, so I was hesitant to pick it up—what if it was Alice or Rosalie? _Don't be a coward_, I yelled at myself. _Just answer the damn phone._

"Hello?" I said.

"Bella? Can we talk?" It wasn't Alice or Rose, or even Emmett. It was my friend from Phoenix—Jacob Black.

"Jake?" I breathed, shocked. Jake and I had been close, until I'd moved away, and I hadn't talked to him over the phone in almost two months. That was messed up—I'd forgotten how much I'd missed him, how his voice comforted me. Jake and I weren't dating, like the rumors around Phoenix had said—we were just really good friends. It was hard to explain the bond Jacob and I shared. There was nothing romantic about it, but we just...needed each other.

"Bells! It's so good to hear your voice!" Jacob said, and I could picture his breakout smile, the one that was like a sun parting the clouds on a rainy day. I found myself smiling in response.

"You too!" I said happily.

"So how's it going? Not starting too many fights, I hope?" Jacob teased, laughing. As if _I'd_ start any fights.

"Not so far," I replied.

"Good, good. So how's Forks?" He asked. My throat felt thick.

"It's good, Jake, real good. I-I miss you," I admitted.

"I miss you too, Bells. More than you know,"

"How's Phoenix? Have you spoken to Renee lately?"

"Renee's doing good, she's been traveling with Phil a little. And Phoenix—well, it's not the same without you."

"Find any cute girls yet?" I teased.

"Hah! There was only one girl here, but she moved. And she was far more than beautiful."

"Aww, who?"

"You."

I gasped inaudibly. I suddenly felt wrong talking to Jake—he'd never spoken like that before, all flirty and confident. I didn't know what to think of it.

"Um, Jake...I'm flattered," I said. "But, uh, I have to go now. Bye!"

"Hold on, Bells! I have a great announcement."

"Yeah?" I said distractingly.

"Yeah, but it's a surprise. I'll tell you when everything's arranged. See you, Bells!"

The line disconnected before I could say anything else.

Great, a surprise. Another thing to add to the list of Chaotic Displeasures.

--

School was brutal. Not only did Alice and Rose not see me, but I didn't see _them_. It was like they'd skipped school altogether, not just a couple of classes of it.

Shoot. They were probably preparing for today after school.

At lunch, the only one around was Jasper. I felt weird sitting next to him, since he wasn't my boyfriend, he was Alice's, and we didn't have much in common. I ate in silence, and so did he, but he had a trace of smirk on his lips. I noticed it.

Gym, which I had last period today, came faster than a rainstorm. We were playing basketball again, and like yesterday, there was an uneven amount of players, so we rotated out. I was the first to sit on the sides. Out of habit, I glanced towards the bleachers, expecting to see that tousled bronze colored hair.

He wasn't there.

Another player from the opposing team was already sitting, watching me, and I was double shocked as I realized it was Edward. Edward, who never participated in gym at all costs.

Edward didn't acknowledge me, gaping openly at him. He looked like he was deep in thought about something.

The ball bounced our way, and I shrieked as it almost hit me. I thought I heard Edward chuckle beside me, but the sound was so soft I could've imagined it.

"Can't handle a ball, Bella?" Jessica sneered at me, retrieving the ball and sending me a rueful glance. I didn't say anything, just waited for her to leave and stop taunting me. She didn't leave.

"You know, I was talking to Mike today. He's really upset about the breakup, but don't worry—he won't bother you anymore. I told him to stop associating himself with sluts."

I looked around for the teacher, but Coach Clapp was conversing with Tim Thompson, basketball extraordinaire, on the varsity squad. It wasn't like I was going to tattletale—I just felt a bit uncomfortable getting told off while no one noticed.

"Don't talk to me, Jessica, if all you want to do is tell me off."

"Oh, that's not all I want to do. I'd like to do this, too." And she slapped me. Right across the face, too. My eyes burned, stung, from the contact. I got up, furious, but surprised when someone was at Jess before I was.

"It's not her fault you can't get your own freaking boyfriend, Jessica. I don't understand why you enjoy finding disappointment in others, when you could just look in the mirror and see the greatest disappointment of all." Edward snapped. I stood there, stunned, my jaw practically on the floor. I'm pretty sure Jess looked the same way.

And before I could thank him, before I could even _talk_ to him, he stalked off, disappearing out the door.

And I stared after him in amazement.

**Wowza! What do you think will happen next? What will Jake's surprise be? Stay tuned XD**


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys! Firstly, thank you all so much for your awesome reviews, you really made my day!! You all deserve a ginormous Emmett bear hug and cookies! Your reviews really motivate me and make me write faster, no joke, so thanks!! Here's chapter 3, hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: If you think I own Twilight, please slap your forehead. Now that that's all cleared up, onto the story!

The rest of gym class I faked a headache and stayed in the locker room to "rest without any noise." Coach Clapp had finally caught onto Jess and she was now trudging to the principal's office. If I weren't so numb I would've cheered.

I tried calling Alice's cell phone, but it automatically went to voicemail. Rose's was the same way, and I didn't bother trying Emmett's. After what seemed like an eternity of nothingness, the bell rang, and school was out. I groaned and contemplated ways to avoid this bet altogether.

Edward really shocked me today, like maybe the Edward I thought I knew wasn't the real him. Was there another side to him that no one saw? Was it something no one _bothered_ to see?

Standing up for me today, dare I say it, _defending_ me today, really changed my outlook on him. Now instead of seeing him as an ignorant, annoying guy, I didn't know _what_ to think of him. I growled in frustration—maybe it would've been better to have him ignore me instead. Why did he have to go defending me, making me think twice about him? Why couldn't he just leave me alone?

I didn't want to think about Edward. I didn't want to become some absorbed, boy-obsessed, desperate person. I wasn't that girl. Why did Edward have to ruin all that? I'd never let someone inside before—why start now? My flings with Tyler, Mike, and Eric didn't count because they never dug deeper than the surface—they didn't really care about getting to know me, and I didn't object. But Edward felt different than those other guys, in a way I couldn't quite place.

And what made it worse was that I'd have to ask him out. After all this was over, I was going to _kill_ Alice, Rose, and Emmett. I'd be even more lethal than I was now. But I had to get through this deranged bet first.

I gathered my books out of my locker, taking my time. I deliberately packed slower than usual, like my body had been programmed in slow-mo, and counted each step I took outside of school. I walked around back, where no one would follow me, and sank against the wall. Now all I had to do was wait.

I looked at my wrist where my watch would be if I'd worn one, but cursed when it wasn't there. I actually never wore watches—until now, I wasn't too concerned about timing. I lived in the moment.

I pulled out my cell phone, to look a little less pathetic so I wouldn't be sitting here like a loser, and checked the time: 3:10. I tried texting Alice, but she didn't reply. I exhaled angrily. They were the ones who made this stupid bet, and they had the nerve to be late!

Suddenly I heard voices, and I straightened up. I peeked around the back wall, and saw that the school buses had already left, and I was alone. It was an eerie feeling, sitting there, waiting anxiously for someone that might not even come. And even freakier waiting alone, with most of the student body gone.

I focused on the voices, eager to distract myself before I ran home like the chicken I was. I picked up on them easily in the silence.

"—and honestly, I'm just sick of her _and_ him. He's just such a freak—it's not even funny. I convinced the principal that the only reason he defended her was because he was trying to get close to her, like he does with all his targets."

It was a girl's voice, a metallic, nasal one. I sifted through the voices I knew, trying to pinpoint it. I settled on it being either Lauren, an unpleasant friend of Jess's, or Tanya, an equally distasteful girl in our school.

"And she doesn't even _deserve_ him. She's so ugly and he's so..._gorgeous_," another girl sighed. I recognized the second girl to be Jessica, and frowned. I didn't want to listen anymore.

For some reason, I got this nagging urge in the back of my mind to stop their conversation. It was obvious they were talking about Edward and I with disgust. I felt the need to somehow shield him from their viciousness, to protect him like he protected me.

_Shut up! This is why he should've never defended you today! _ I argued mentally. _Because now you're thinking you owe him something in return, and you_ don't. _If anything, he owes you for always taunting you and being annoyingly persistent!_

Still, even with his constant jokester personality, he'd defended me, and that in itself was enough to make me lose my mind all over again.

--

"Bella, where _are_ you?" Alice screamed into the phone. It was 3:39 now, with Jess and Lauren/Tanya's departure fifteen minutes ago.

"Where am _I? _Where are _you_?" I asked hotly. I'd been waiting here for over half an hour, damn it! If anyone should be mad, it'd be me!

"Didn't Emmett tell you? We're out sick today, Rose, and me, in case you disregarded our non-presence for six hours in school! Hence us not being there at three! Put two and two together, Bella, I positively dare you!"

"Emmett? Emmett wasn't here today!" I shot back. They wouldn't be pulling the blame on me today.

"W-what?" Alice spluttered, regrouping. "Oh. Well, sorry about that. He was _supposed_ to be there, to tell you. Or at least call you—god damn it, he's so macho sometimes."

"Macho? I thought—never mind. Listen, the bet's off. I showed up, no one was here, and it's _over_. Done. So there!" I shouted, giddy with relief. I didn't have to ask him out! I didn't have to make a fool out of myself! I didn't have to feel so confused and think of him as something other than the arrogant guy he was. I was _free_.

"Hold on, hot stuff! You don't think we're letting you off that easily?" Alice asked, laughing. "Don't you know us at all?"

My happiness deflated like a balloon. "What?"

"You're still asking him out, Bella! Tomorrow after school, we'll be there."

She hung up.

And just when I thought all my problems had been solved.

--

There were two messages on the answering machine when I got home. The first was from Jake.

"Hey Bells, it's me. Just clueing you in that the surprise is about a week away. I talked to Charlie about it and he's thrilled, but our lips are zipped. Don't look at me the machine that way, Bells, you'll find out soon enough. I wasn't going behind your back, I swear! Okay, maybe a little, but it'll be better this way. Anyway, Renee and Phil say hi and they miss you. I do too, a lot. Call me back."

I smiled despite myself. Although I didn't like the thought of being the only one out of the loop, while Jake, Renee, Phil, and even _Charlie_ knew about whatever surprise was in store, I was still happy. It was nice to have some kind of link to normalness, where I could forget about my troubles for at least a few minutes.

I deleted it and played the next one.

"Bella? It's dad. Sorry about leaving a message, I couldn't find any pens in the house to leave a note. I'll be working a little later—there's been some break-ins at the bank, but don't worry about it. If you don't feel like making dinner, order a pizza. I left some money on the table. See you."

I smiled and deleted that one, too. Didn't Charlie know me at all? I left the money where it was and started dinner—some chicken cutlets, rice, and corn. I hummed to myself, content for the moment.

I breaded the chicken and popped it in the oven before micro waving the instant brown rice. I flipped on the ancient kitchen TV, bearing antennas and all that dated back who knows how long ago. The news came on, a banner flashing at the bottom of the screen listing flood warnings in possible areas on the Olympic Peninsula. I groaned when Forks flashed across. Great. A big flood was just the icing on the cake.

I switched to a more local station, turning down the volume as I placed the steaming rice in a bowl.

I was listening to meteorologist Ben Skinner when my leg started vibrating. It was my cell phone.

I hastily retrieved it, expecting it to be Alice or Rosalie. Out of habit, I glanced quickly at the caller ID. Just as I suspected—it read Cullen, which meant it was Alice.

"What now?" I snapped, still grumpy from our previous encounter. She had the nerve to call me back, after she hung up on me!

But it wasn't Alice. It was someone who curiously had the same last name.

"Bella?"

Edward.

Keep in mind that Bella doesn't know Edward's Alice's brother! You'll find out why, or something along those lines, in the next chapter! Hehe, I love leaving you guys in suspense :) Your reviews make my day and make me type faster, so click away!

Oh, and about that surprise? My lips, like Jacob's, are zipped :X


	4. Chapter 4

I'm so sorry for not updating faster, AGAIN

I'm so sorry for not updating faster, AGAIN! Thank you so much to those who reviewed and alerted, you truly made my day and helped me crank out this chapter! I've been really busy, so in case of future lack-of-updates, sorry! I went to the Big E this week and I have 4 other stories that need updating, so bear with me! Thanks again to everyone for simply reading my story, ya'll are amazing!

Disclaimer: If you still think I own Twilight, just smack your forehead right now. Go on, smack it. Enjoy the chapter!

"Bella?" Edward repeated, due to my lack of response. I choked on the air I'd sucked into my lungs and started coughing.

"Bella? Are you dying?" Edward asked, alarmed now. I laughed at his sentence in between my spluttering. I finally managed to calm down and laughed again at myself.

"Sorry about that. I, ah, choked on air."

"Typical." Edward chuckled, sounding somewhat relieved. "You sounded like a wheezing porcupine."

I didn't say anything.

"So—ugh, hold on, my sister's trying to—Alice, stop! I'm on the phone!" Edward yelled. I frowned as I heard a voice much like the one and only pixie shout in the distance, as if she were trying to distract him.

"Sorry, wrong number!" Suddenly it was her, using an accent belonging to a Belgium woman, on the line. Then the line went dead.

I held the phone to my ear for about another thirty seconds before hanging up myself. Was that a prank call? Was Edward upping his idiotic jokes to another level, and deciding to torture me _outside_ of school too? In my own _house_?

But all those questions cleared as the most disturbing one came: Was Edward really Alice's brother? And if so, _what the hell?_

No, he couldn't possibly be her brother. That wouldn't make sense—it was like adding two plus two and getting five. I'd gone to Alice's house so many times I practically lived there, yet I'd never seen Edward there, wandering in the mansion, or watching TV in the enormous living room. He was never lingering in the open bedrooms or playing the grand piano in the dining room...

But...Alice certainly never played piano. So why would they have a beautiful, probably extremely expensive piano just sitting there?

I rolled my eyes at myself. I was being so _stupid_. Obviously it was for looks, since perhaps her parents, like every other parent who had as much money as they, probably wanted impressive instruments in their house to make it fancy and elegant. I laughed at the thought of Edward playing the piano—I just couldn't imagine him playing that intimidating instrument. I just saw him as someone who prank-called, pulled chairs out from beneath me before I sat...that kind of thing. He just wasn't that deep, sensitive, musical guy. He didn't fit into a category—he was just Edward.

So why had he called Alice his sister on the phone? And why had the Caller ID read Cullen, when clearly it was Edward? Maybe the Caller ID was wrong, and Edward just coincidentally had a sister named Alice, too. Unlikely, but much more probable than my Alice's-secret-brother theory.

I brushed it off, crinkling my nose as a beeping noise came from behind me. I started panicking as I smelled smoke, and whirled around just in time to turn the oven off before it exploded.

"Shoot," I muttered, taking the cutlets out. They were crispy, crunchy, and...burnt. Dang it, now I'd have to start a new batch.

I know I could've ordered a pizza, but I felt obligated to cook for Charlie. It was like paying back a loan, or doing my part in some unspoken bargain; after all, Charlie had been very generous letting me stay here. I at least owed him some decent meals.

And okay, although I didn't admit it to myself, I also wanted to keep my mind busy. To distract myself, so it couldn't wander to the inexplicable mystery on my hands.

--

I gave into temptation that night, finally working up the courage to call Alice. Just to clear things up, so I could focus on a good night's sleep where I didn't have to worry.

Her phone was off. Again.

I huffed. Usually the situation was reversed—it was always Alice scolding _me_ for never leaving my phone on in case of an emergency. Well, now I saw what she meant. This was definitely an emergency, at least to me, and it'd be helpful if I could actually get a hold of her, instead of waiting until tomorrow. It was torture.

That night was horrible, and not just because of the bizarre problem on my hands—though that did add its own stress. The terrible thunderstorm, the one the meteorologists predicted, was strenuously loud and even with my eyes closed, I could see the lightning. It was awful, especially with the howling wind and the flowing debris knocking into my window. I tossed and turned all night, unable to drift away until about three am. Perfect for my mood, right?

Morning came quickly, and I groaned at another sleepless night. My mood was became more hopeless when I looked out my window. It wasn't what I saw that annoyed and slightly scared me—it was what I didn't see.

I didn't see the road.

Because it was covered, drenched, with water. And it was still raining.

"Bells, you up?" Charlie called from downstairs. Although we lived in a small house, whenever we weren't face-to-face, we used yelling to communicate.

"I'm up!" I hollered back, stomping into the kitchen.

"Glorious morning, isn't it?" he asked, his voice returning to normal.

"Glorious, indeed," I agreed, glaring at the ominous clouds.

"You going to school today?" Charlie said, fetching himself a cereal bar. I shrugged.

"If Forks High doesn't get a rain day," I answered grumpily. He huffed in response and went in another room to watch TV. Unlike normal schools, which usually consisted of snow days, the unique Forks, Washington had _rain_ days, where we missed school due to intense flooding. Today was a debatable day—the roads weren't worn down yet, but it was still raining, so more damage might be headed our way. Normally I'd be cheering, but the glum weather was depressing. Plus, I _wanted_ to go to school today. To see Alice, obviously. Her phone was still off.

_Was it purposely off, to avoid my calls?_ A little voice in my head asked meekly. I shoved it away.

Suddenly I heard Charlie scream, and my heart raced off. I broke into a cold sweat, sprinting into the TV room in a frenzy.

"What is it? Dad?" I panicked, actually calling him his formal name "Dad" instead of Charlie. I never called him Charlie to his face, but I didn't call him Dad either. Charlie was standing behind the TV where all the wires were connected, his face drawn in fear.

"Dad? What's wrong?" I demanded, dashing to where he stood.

"Get me the phone, Bells," Charlie said gruffly, now regaining his composure and looking somewhat embarrassed.

"Why?" I asked, still alarmed.

"Damn mice again," he grumbled. I sighed in relief, a bit irritated how worked up I'd gotten. All this stress couldn't be good for my heart.

"Oh, okay. Don't scream next time, okay? You had me scared," I admitted before walking away to grab the phone. He laughed and clapped my back before returning to his baseball program.

Coincidentally, just as I picked the phone to give to Charlie, it started ringing.

"Hello?" I answered in a businesslike tone.

"Bella! Can you come over today? School's out," I caught my breath. It was Alice.

"Rose, Em, and Jasper are coming too," she continued, chipper. I swallowed my hysteria. Why was she acting so normal? Like nothing had happened? Unless nothing _had_ happened, and I was just over imagining things again...

My mind was rotating in a circle, jumbled with unanswered questions.

"Um, to your house?" I asked hesitantly. Maybe if I went there, I'd see Edward, and she'd feel obligated to explain things to me? Maybe I wouldn't have to prompt her?

"Unless you felt like going shopping, in which case, we can go to Port Angeles. They just opened a new boutique there that I've been _dying _to see—"

"No, your house sounds great," I interrupted hurriedly. Alice laughed at me.

"Anything to get out of shopping," she said.

"Anything," I agreed.

"Okay, so come over as soon as you can. The door will be open, as usual." Alice said offhandedly. The door was always open anyway—it sometimes felt like her house was my second home. When I first became friends with her in fifth grade, I felt like an intruder, barging into her house without knocking, but she waved my worries away. Now I could just walk into the house like it was mine—like it was _ours._ Like we were sisters.

Well, we _had been _ sisters, and I was pretty sure we still were, but the latest debacle had me on my toes. If Alice really hadn't told me about Edward being her brother, where did that put out friendship? Sisters didn't lie to each other, especially with something that...vital. I guess it wasn't incredibly important, but I didn't like the thought of Alice hiding something from me or not trusting me.

And also, Edward being her brother was some handy information to have. Just saying.

"I'll be there in five," I said, and hung up.

"Bella, are you okay in there?" Charlie asked suspiciously, and I had a feeling he'd been eavesdropping on my phone conversation. Again. I mean, I loved Charlie with my heart, but sometimes he went too far on the whole protective-father thing. It was like he thought I was sneaking around with a secret boyfriend, or something. It did kind of make sense—I went to Alice's quite a lot. Like I said, we were practically separated at birth. Maybe he was worried about me sneaking around with a guy instead.

"Don't worry, Char—Dad. It was just Alice," I assured him, entering the TV room, phone in hand. His face, which was visibly a shade darker than before, instantly lightened as I told him. God, didn't _he_ at least trust me?

"Oh, okay. You going there today?" Charlie asked casually.

"Yeah, right now, actually. Since it's a rain day, you know," I told him.

"Right, sure," he said offhandedly, not really paying attention. I didn't expect him too—it would be sort of weird if he actually _did _know what I was talking about all the time. I smiled at him before saying goodbye and popping in my truck.

"Be home before dinner!" He called as I rolled out of the driveway, onto the highway, and out of sight.

--

"I'm home!" I yelled into Alice's mansion. As soon as I said it, I clamped my hands over my mouth. What if Edward was here, and he heard me? I always greeted Alice like that in her house, but now that even the slightest possibility of Edward living here was fresh in my mind, I felt like an intruder all over again.

"Bellllaaaaaaa!" Alice's voice squealed from her bedroom upstairs, and in a flash she was by my side. I rolled my eyes and hugged her—I didn't understand why Alice didn't try out for the track team, with her being so impeccably fast it was mind-boggling. She'd said sports weren't really her thing—she used all her excess energy walking the halls in the malls.

So that's how she stayed so skinny.

"You're late," she pouted when I pulled away.

"Sorry," I said. "Another infamous mice infestation."

"Blech."

"I know. You'd think with Charlie being a cop, he'd have those rascals scared silly. But it's the opposite—they always scare _him_. Another exterminator, more traps, less room in the house. I hope they're not in the walls—then I'll be forbidden to go in my room."

"Forbidden to—never mind. Listen, Bella, I wanted to warn you beforehand, but he insisted that I let it be a surprise. See, Emmett and Rose aren't coming. Neither is Jazz."

"What? Then why'd you invite me over?" I asked, startled.

"Well, it wasn't exactly _me_ who insisted you come today," Alice whispered. I didn't process what she meant until she stepped aside, giving me a clear view of the spiraling staircase that led upstairs.

Or, more of a view of who was _on _the spiraling staircase, his bronze hair messier than ever, and his green eyes smiling while his smile was mocking.

Crap. I cursed myself for not staying home with the rats.

**Ooh! So Bella finally has a one-on-one confrontation with Edward! What's he hiding? What's **_**Alice**_** hiding? Reviews make me update uber fast :)**

**XD**


	5. Chapter 5

**OH MY CARLISLE!! Thank you all so much for reviewing, you are the best!! Cookies for all! Let me say that this chapter, and the rest following, is dedicated to you! And now, onward to chapter 5!**

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, get over it! Tehe :)

"Bella, try to be reasonable," Edward said for the umpteenth time, rolling his eyes at my most likely deranged expression. My hair was plastered to my forehead, like I'd just finished the mile jog in gym class, and my breathing sounded almost mechanical. In. Out. In. Out. I sat with my elbows propped on my knees on the couch, staring at Alice and Edward with wild eyes. Not the best impression for your future "boyfriend", but I had more pressing things on my mind.

"Reasonable? After...? _Reasonable_?" I shouted, exasperated. Why the hell should I be reasonable when there was a perfectly _un_reasonable reason for why I was even here? I growled at them.

"I told you she was stubborn. Better let me handle this, bro—you can have her all to yourself when Jasper comes by," Alice said to her (new to me) brother, winking.

"Jasper? Poor guy—where are you dragging him now?" Edward teased, ignoring the part of the sentence that involved him and me. Alice elbowed him in the stomach. Edward avoided her jab, laughing.

"FYI, _he_ invited _me_ out today, and unlike _someone_ I know," she narrowed her eyes at him, "he's being a gentleman and taking me to a movie."

Edward shook his head. "At the mall. Where you obviously pressured him to go, even if he _did_ invite you out."

Alice was about to snap back at him but I interceded.

"Hello! Still here!" I reminded. Edward snickered. I glared at him.

"A bit temperamental, aren't we?" he cooed. I smacked him on the shoulder.

"So, Bella, do you have any questions? Excluding the several million you had before?" Alice asked.

"Let me get this straight," I started, trying to sort out the overwhelming amount of news they had given me in the course of two hours. "Edward's your brother, for some reason you can't tell me." I narrowed my eyes at her. She smiled apologetically but was suddenly absorbed with her shoelaces. I rolled my eyes at the unexplained information. I'd been begging, pleading, demanding, you name it—ever since I'd come here. Yet she kept saying, "I can't tell you" and tried to change the subject.

"You, Alice, were adopted by Carlisle and Esme when you were five—Edward was adopted when he was eight, though you both are the same age. Am I getting it all?"

"You missed the part about Edward sleepwalking into the fridge when he was little—that's why he's so messed up. But yeah, besides that, you got it all." Alice said, laughing. She stopped short when she saw his antagonistic glare.

"Sorry," Alice whispered, apologizing for something I didn't know.

Edward's lipped curled up in forgiveness. My eyes darted between them, trying to catch some significant, unspoken message, but I found nothing.

"Alice, can you please just tell me what this secret is? Before I go insane?" I said, angry about whatever secret she was keeping but slightly hurt, too. Why wouldn't Alice mention Edward was her brother? Was she ashamed of it? Did she purposely try to hide it from me, as well as the rest of the school? Or was there another reason?

"What secret?" she asked playfully, her eyes wide and innocent. I rolled my eyes.

"Don't start this, Alice," I warned.

"Start what?"

"Alice!"

"What?" Alice asked, giggling. I sighed and gave up—I'd never crack that pixie no matter how many times I begged. She was probably more stubborn that I was.

I decided to take a new approach.

"You can trust me," I said softly, guilt starting to ease through me by the look of dread on her face.

Alice's eyes widened. "What?"

"I know that's why you won't tell me—because, as a friend, I'm just untrustworthy." I said sadly, upping the guilt factor.

"Oh no, Bella, I know that! Don't think for a second that the reason I'm acting so weird is because I don't trust you!" Alice said in a hurry to make me understand.

"Then why?" I asked softly.

"Strategy," Edward said under his breath, staring at me. I ignored him.

Alice's face lost its color. "I-I can't tell you." Her eyes darted to Edward. I followed her unfathomable gaze.

"What? Why?"

"He wouldn't want me to. Please, Bella," Alice whispered. She looked so pained it took me a moment to compose myself. How could it be that bad that she looked like I was torturing her? I considered blowing the whole thing off, not bothering to prompt her anymore, if she acted this way every time I brought it up. I'd just pretend like nothing was wrong.

So I caved, and let it go. Alice's torn face became flushed with relief and she pecked me on the cheek.

"It's better that you don't know," she said. I clamped my mouth shut so I couldn't respond. Edward was staring out the window, as if lost in some memory. We settled into a comfortable silence. I had no intention of leaving, and no where to go.

--

A honk beeped outside, and Alice jumped up, gleeful. I stood as she skipped out of the house to meet Jasper, feeling awkward. Edward was on his feet as well, and we both waved as she seated herself in the passenger seat.

"So, Bella, I heard you wanted to ask me something," Edward said casually as Jasper's care sped off. I could hear the tires screeching as it got onto the highway, which wasn't far away. I jumped at his voice, coming from behind me.

"Y-you did?" I asked, too fast. He smiled and suddenly I could feel his cool breath on my neck, tickling my ear.

"I did," he repeated softly, placing his hands around my waist and my breath caught in my throat. I closed my eyes.

Edward smirked before coming to stand in front of me.

"So, what was it?" he asked, his sultry voice back to its normal idiotic tone. I sighed in frustration. He feigned confusion, looking at me with innocent eyes. Jerk.

"Maybe I don't have a question to ask you, and you just heard wrong?" I suggested. He laughed at me.

"Back at this again, are we? Always fighting?" Edward said, almost sadly. He put his hands in his pockets.

I was a little taken aback. "What do you mean? We only fight because you try irritating me, it works, and—"

"I don't try to irritate you, Bella," Edward interrupted me.

"Then why do you stir up conflicts with me?" I asked, shrill.

"I guess I just wanted an excuse to talk to you," he confessed. _What?_

"Then why didn't you just talk to me, instead of making my feel like a moron?"

Edward shrugged. "_I_ didn't want to feel like a moron, Bella. Think about it—me, some dorky guy, some stupid loner, striking up a conversation with you—the beautiful, popular, mysterious girl. I didn't want to sound like an idiot."

"Stop talking like that," I urged him. "Stop thinking of yourself as stupid and dorky. You're really smart and talented and...seriously, every girl I know has called you hot or handsome or sexy. And besides, who the hell cares about what kids in school say about you? They've said stuff about me, but I don't take it too seriously...and you're so much more attractive than me..."

He scoffed. "You call _me_ good-looking, and now you're the ugly duckling? Honestly Bella, you don't see yourself clearly at _all_, if you actually think for a second that you're anything short of beautiful."

I widened my eyes, and he looked at the ground, embarrassed. I cleared my throat and began again, ignoring the butterflies in my stomach.

"_Everyone_ thinks of you as good-looking, Edward. Even some of the guys, I bet," I joked, trying to ease the environment. How did he not know this? Didn't he know how gorgeous he was?

_Holy crow._ Had I just called him gorgeous?

No.

Because I didn't like Edward. For one, he was my best friend's _brother_, and two...it was just not right. We weren't compatible—at least not in school. But...

Hadn't I just said that labels didn't matter? That it didn't matter what kids in school thought of you?

"Do you?" Edward said softly, his eyes doing that unfair smoldering thing again.I was about to blow a curl out of my face, but he beat me to it, lightly brushing it aside with his fingers and tucking it behind my ear. Our eyes locked, and right then, all previous traces of anger flew out of my brain, all rational thoughts left far behind. I never noticed how brilliantly _green _they were, like gleaming emeralds sparkling in the sun. They were deep too, and I felt like I couldn't pull away from the intoxicating green orbs.

"A...what?" I asked dumbly.

"Do you think I'm good-looking?"

It took me a minute to think properly. I laughed at myself. "I can hardly think straight when you look at me—does that say something?"

Edward grinned and relaxed.

"So, Bella...I think I'll do you a favor today," he said, and I froze. He sounded like Emmett, which was not a good thing.

"What kind of favor?" I asked nervously.

"I'll tell you what Alice has been unable to say, on one condition." He took a step closer to me.

"You mean about you being her brother all this time, with me not knowing?" I clapped my hands excitedly. He nodded.

"Okay," I agreed, a little cautious about the "one condition." Knowing him, it could be some complex plan leading to disaster, just like the bet. He took another step closer, until our noses were almost touching.

"Say you want to go out with me," he breathed.

I froze.

"Isn't there some other idiotic thing you can think of?" I stalled. Edward laughed softly.

"Nope." He grinned. "Why, do you not want to?"

My eyes widened. "Oh no, that's not it—I just..."

"What are you afraid of, Bella?" He whispered. "I'm saving you from this bet, and you're still not playing right?"

"Oh, so this is all a game?" I demanded, the butterflies turning into a hard knot in my stomach.

"No, Bella," Edward smiled. "Don't get so defensive. It's just fun to annoy you."

"You should know," I said wryly.

"I should also know that you're trying to distract me," he replied. I ground my teeth together.

"This is like blackmail—I could have Charlie arrest you." I said, still thinking of ways to get out of this.

"And I could press charges about you slapping me today," Always having the last word.

"Well..." I said, pushing him back so he was against the wall. I leaned in so that our foreheads were pressed together, and my hair fell across his face.

"I bet you do this to all the girls you like," I whispered. "But I'm not like other girls."

"I know," he said, completely falling into the trap.

Or so I thought.

"Say it, then," Edward breathed.

I leaned away. He raised his eyebrows at me.

"C'mon Bella, are you trying to seduce me or something?"

I laughed. "I think that beats out my 'fooling around in the car' comment,"

"Ugh. You _are_ trying to seduce me."

"Who, me?"

"Let's not start _this_ again," he groaned.

"Start what?" I asked innocently, smiling. "Sometimes I don't know what you're talking about, Edward."

"Fine, you win." He sighed, and peeled away from me. I frowned—this wasn't how I'd planned it in my head.

"Edward, where are you going?"

"You obviously don't want to ask me out because you don't like me. I don't see why you don't just tell me off the bat, instead of getting my hopes up," he said sourly.

"What? No...Edward, wait, that's not what I meant—"

"Then ask me."

I sighed.

"I want to go out with you," I mumbled.

"No, no, don't do me any favors," he said. My face got bright red—he wasn't going to make me say it _again_, was he? It was hard enough admitting it the first time!

"I want to go out with you," I repeated, clenching my teeth.

"Really, it's no big deal, Bella. I'll tell you the secret anyway."

I rolled my eyes. "That's not why I'm saying it, Edward. It's the principle of the thing—I'm not going to let up on my side of the bargain just because you'll allow it. I'm not so helpless, you know."

"Fine, fine," he said, grinning, and I had a feeling he'd been planning this all along. Reverse psychology and the lot.

Strategy.

It was dangerously scary that I didn't even care.

"I want to go out with you," I said.

"You want to what?"

"I want to go out with you!" I yelled, exasperated. Edward pulled me roughly to him, his lips inches from mine. I growled—I hated foreplay.

"Finally," he said, smiling.

"That was a good strategy," I complimented. "Deserves some kudos."

"Excellent strategy," he said.

And he kissed me.

**Again, thanks to all my lovely readers, I had a crappy day today. Unlike Bella & Edward, I asked out a guy, he said no, and I feel a bit idiotic XD. All is good though. I'm busy this week, so the next update will probably be around next week. If not, you can send angry bunnies after me! –runs out of the way-**

**Until next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**So I'm finally updating! I'm uber sorry it's been so long, I've been really busy! Thanks as always to those who reviewed, you're all amazing. I know this chapter leaves off with another cliffy, but I have 4 other stories that need updating, and I'll probably tend to those first. Sorry for the wait! And now, without further ado, chapter 6!**

**Sorry for posting this chapter twice, the email didn't show up. I just realized you can send angry bunnies after me--yikes!**

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. But guess what! If you haven't heard, Paramore's doing a song for the Twilight movie called Decode. My two obsessions collide—how awesome is that? You can hear it on stephenie's website! Check it out!

You know that kind of high you get, like when you feel disconnected to your body, and you're just floating in space? It's this wonderful feeling, like nothing bad can ever happen to you, that if you just stay in this happy place for a little bit longer...nothing can touch you.

That's the affect Edward's kissing gave me.

I felt like I was on top of a cloud, and everything, for once, was perfect. It's weird—I used to fantasize about that one guy, that _real_ guy for me who'd understand me. I never in a million years pictured Edward to be that guy who proved to me that they're not all the same.

Maybe I'd underestimated him. He was actually sweet, under all that sketchy, goofball personality of his. I wondered how many times he'd let that sweet side show.

When we finally broke apart, both panting slightly, I gave him a huge blown-out grin.

"That was fun," I admitted, sounding like a little girl.

Edward didn't respond, but his eyes were dancing again. I hoped he was enjoying this as much as I was.

"I don't get it, Edward," I said, a bit irritably, as I sank into a couch in his living room. Edward's eyebrows rose at my change of tone, but he sat next to me, our thighs brushing. I blushed.

"What don't you get, Bella?" he asked.

"Why...why don't you show that side of you more often?" I blurted. I regretted it as soon as I saw his face cloud over. Leave it to me to ruin the mood.

It was silent for a few moments before he began.

"I have a little trouble showing emotions, Bella," he said, chuckling darkly, as if responding to a sinister thought. I frowned.

"What do you mean?" I prompted, more curious than ever. He was finally telling me the secret, after he'd forbidden Alice not to. I'd bug him about that part later—I just wanted to understand the reasoning first.

He sighed. "I don't really know where to begin. See...Alice's parents adopted me when I was young, very young. But one's age doesn't necessarily matter in the eyes of an abusive—"

Just then, his phone rang.

We leaped apart, as if caught in some criminal act. Edward looked sheepishly at me before scrambling to answer the thought. I noticed that the graveness never left his eyes. I sat there, heart still pounding, though I didn't know why. Why did I feel afraid, like whoever was on the phone had seen us?

_It doesn't matter, _I repeated my own words in my head. _It wouldn't matter if someone saw you kissing Edward._

I sighed, dropping the argument in my head. It was useless—I had plenty of time for that later.

Of course, whoever it was chose this _exact_ moment to call. I heard Edward's voice in the other room and decided to listen in, just a little bit.

"Hello?" A pause, followed by a reluctant-sounding Edward. "Oh, hey Tanya." The feeling that swept through me was so hostile, so violent I shocked even myself. Why the hell was Tanya calling here? Why did he answer like it was _normal_ for her to call? I seethed at the sound of her name—it was like we were enemies now. Not like my "enemy" in Edward—him and I were like Tom and Jerry. We liked to tease each other but we didn't hate each other as much as everyone thought. I touched my lips and smiled at how much I actually _liked_ Edward.

But Tanya...I growled.

Edward came back into the room I was in, giving me an apologetic smile. I crossed my arms patiently, trying not to look like I'd been eavesdropping.

"Edward, I'm going to call Charlie from my cell, to tell him I'll be staying a little longer," I told him. He nodded before speaking into the phone.

"What? Oh, nobody. Just some girl."

I stopped where I was. My cheeks felt hot, like they were on fire, and angry tears welled in my eyes. Just some girl? On second thought, I jammed my cell back in my pocket and stormed out of the house.

Screw him. I'd keep my curiosity to myself.

--

"Bella?" Charlie asked, as usual, as I slammed the front door shut. He was in the family room watching TV, of course.

"Hi, Dad," I said, flashing an artificial smile at him. Hopefully he wouldn't ask questions and let me go to my room. At first he didn't catch on.

"I ordered a pizza tonight, Bells, to give you a break. I saved you a few slices in the oven, to keep them warm."

_The oven?_ I craftily hid my distaste—I'd deal with dinner later. I wasn't even hungry. I started walking past him, thinking maybe I'd get off easy and he wouldn't ask any questions at all.

No such luck.

"Anything wrong, Bells?" Charlie asked just as I was halfway up the stairs. "You seem sort of...edgy."

I sucked in a deep breath and exhaled. "Really? I do?"

Charlie, startled by the anger in my voice, backed off. He didn't seem to know how to respond. "Um. A little."

"Dad, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, honey," he said, fidgeting in his seat and looking up at me.

"Do you think I'm nobody?"

He looked at me ludicrously before breaking into a smile. Suddenly he looked years younger, and I could see a little of the guy my mom had fallen in love with in their early days. It lightened the air a bit, cut the tension in half.

"Bells, of course you're not nobody. And if you really are as smart as your report card says, you'll know that that's an oxymoron, meaning you're definitely _somebody._ In fact, I'd be surprised if you didn't receive a Nobel Prize someday for your brilliant mind."

I rolled my eyes at the cheesiness of his encouragement but smiled in thanks. Charlie was clueless as ever about why I'd brought it up—he probably thought it was for a physics project—but his attempt was appreciated. At least I was important to _someone_.

Charlie looked back at the TV, but I knew he'd meant what he'd said. Just like me, he was uncomfortable voicing his emotions. I stood there for a second before proceeding to my room.

I turned on the ancient computer again, trying to convince myself that I just wanted to check if Renee had sent me any emails.

But I couldn't lie even to myself. In truth, I was going online to see if I could talk to Jake on AIM.

And okay, my computer crashes every time a new message pops up, and I've only used the Instant Messaging device a grand total of twice, back when I was in Phoenix. But I was dying to hear from him, because Jake always made me feel better. I really needed his support right now.

I knew I was being a baby—just another idiot I'd plowed through, no big deal—but I didn't care. I eagerly logged onto my screen name.

He wasn't on.

I felt a wave of disappointment wash through me. I scrolled through my buddy list, but I knew I wasn't up to making small talk. Mike sent me an IM, but I ignored it, using the pathetic homework excuse even though I'd finished last night. It had been due today, after all.

I signed off and checked my email, in case Renee _had_ emailed. It read 'Two New Messages.'

I deleted the first one—an ad for the new Chinese Restaurant opening near the highway—and opened the second. It was from Alice, sent this morning at nine.

**To:  
**

**From:  
**

**Sent:** January 26, 9:06 AM

**Bella! You never use your email anymore. Remind me to get you a new name. I mean come on—BellaSwan1988? How original. Do you like mine? I created it today. The 14 is that day we first sat together at lunch. Clever, huh? Anyway, I'm going out with Jazz today, as you know. I'm so excited, I can't even eat my cereal without the spoon shaking. We should go shopping—they've just put in a boutique in Port Angeles! Call me right after you read this. Bella, you're still reading, I can tell. Stop reading and call me. STOP! YOUR EYES ARE STILL MOVING!**

**Jeez, Bella, you are very stubborn.**

**I'm bored, which is a shock, I know. Boredom is for people who don't have an imagination, and I have plenty of that. Hmm... maybe I'll double check my outfit for me and Jasper's date. Toodles! CALL ME!**

I laughed as I finished reading. While I was revolted by shopping, both emotionally and physically—I actually got cramps when I thought of hitting the mall—it actually sounded...dare I say it...pleasurable. At least for right now. I needed some one-on-one girl time. I didn't need to let Alice's jerk brother completely ruin my day. But Alice was probably still out with Jasper. I called Rose.

"Hi Bella," she said after the first ring.

"Is Alice's uncanny predicting ability contagious?" I asked.

"Caller ID, Bella," she reminded me.

"Right."

"So, what's up? Is Alice on her hot date yet?"

"Don't you know her at all? She left an hour ago with Jasper. I dunno where they went."

"Poor guy. The pixie's probably gonna do something mischievous again, and he'll get in trouble."

I laughed, knowing she was referring to Alice's last disaster-date with her ex, Mitchell. Mitchell had wanted to go to the classic dinner-and-a-movie, but Alice convinced him to go rock climbing—where she accidentally broke the strap that helped you climb up. Mitchell was fined since he'd paid the admission fee.

Knowing Jasper, he'd most likely try to be a gentleman and get in trouble for it.

"So, what's up, Bells? Did you ask Eddie out yet?" Rosalie teased.

"Who?"

"The man of your nightmares?" Rose hinted.

"What?"

"God, Bella, Edward! Have you asked him out yet?"

"Alice's brother isn't having that privilege," I said sourly.

Rose gasped. "Whose brother?"

Oh crap. I probably wasn't supposed to say that. If Alice hadn't told me, she certainly wouldn't have told Rose...

"I meant Alyssa, sorry. You know, Edward's little sister. She, er, goes to the middle school. In Seattle." God, I was terrible. I didn't sound convincing at all.

"Bella, do you know something I don't?" Rose asked suspiciously. I panicked—I couldn't stand having Rose or Alice mad at me. It drove me insane.

"No, Rosalie, seriously. I...the name slipped. Since we were talking about Alice and all, and then you asked about Edward. I just got confused, that's all."

Rose didn't respond, and I was afraid she'd hung up. But then she let out a sigh of relief and giggled. "Bella, you scared me for a second there. I thought you and Alice were starting to talk behind my back or something. You know I couldn't live without you guys."

I blew out my own sigh of relief, though slowly, so she wouldn't hear it. "I know, Rose. Same to you. We're infested with rats again, so I have to go. Just called to say hi."

"Ew, again? I was planning to come over tomorrow to make sure you asked Edward out. But if there are _rats_...well, I'll just have to call you. See you,"

"Bye," I said, and hung up.

Phew. That was closer than close.

I looked at my bedside clock—it was 8:20. I didn't care that it was early—I stripped into my pajamas and climbed into bed. Within minutes I was asleep.

The next day, my alarm clock didn't go off. Maybe it needed a new battery. Because of this, I woke up half an hour late. Charlie was already gone. I cursed and took a quick shower, hastily grabbed a granola bar, threw on some clothes, and gunned it to school. I spent the few minutes before class trying to tame my disheveled hair but gave up and whipped it into a low ponytail.

The bell rang, and I went to my locker to get my books for Math. Normally I didn't mind math in the morning—it was over and done for the rest of the day—but today I had to force myself to go. I even considered skipping class again, but I didn't want to chance facing Edward in the halls again.

The blocks were agonizingly slow, and by lunchtime it felt like the end of the day. I groaned at the thought of four more blocks ahead, including gym.

In the cafeteria, I took my seat next to a chattering Rosalie and Alice. When they saw me, they grabbed my arm and squealed louder than I would've thought possible.

"Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod," Alice chanted. "Bella, there's this—"

"Alice!" Rose cut in. "We're not supposed to tell her until—"

"Yeah, but he was supposed to send it before lunch—"

"Ohmigod, he's so—"

"I know, and that _hair_—"

"GUYS!" I yelled, and they simmered down instantly. I took a deep breath. "Do you mind telling me what the hell's going on?"

Alice grinned at me. "Bella, check your phone," she demanded.

"What? Phone's aren't allowed in—"

"_Check it!_" They said in unison. I rolled my eyes and pulled it out under the table. I had two new texts.

They were from Jake.

The first one said,

**Bella: your surprise is a week early. I called your best friends, courtesy of Charlie, and they know about it, too. Be prepared.**

That had been sent this morning, when I'd been asleep. God, he must've gotten up super early. I checked the next one, which had just been sent a minute ago. Whoa, talk about good timing. It was simple, only three words, but it was the most confusing yet.

**Turn around.**

What the...?

Maybe he'd meant to say something else but accidentally pressed send. I turned around, just for the sake of it.

And nearly dropped the phone.

Because there, in my town...no, in my _school_, laughing at my expression while Rose and Alice cackled beside me, was Jake.

**Whoa! Jake's finally HERE! I guess I'm really predictable about the whole surprise thing, since almost all of you guessed right. So, sorry if it's a bit predictable, but it ties in with the story! Stay tuned!**

**XD**


	7. Chapter 7

I'M SO SORRY!!!!!! How many times do I have to grovel at your feet before you forgive me?? This has been the longest non-updating gap I've ever been through, and I am truly sorry for the long wait! I really hope you guys are still interested in my story (: If so, feel free to review! But all I can really ask of you now is to read and enjoy. Thanks so much.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

"Jake!" I yelled, ignoring the curious eyes around me, and ran into his open arms. I'd forgotten how bones crushing his hugs were—it was only seconds before I was gasping for air.

"Hey Bells!" Jake said, laughing at me before letting go. I couldn't wipe that smile off my face, nearly as big as his. I barely heard Rose and Alice's laughter over my thumping heart. Jake was _here!_ I was absolutely joyous.

"How—when did you—was this—" I could hardly speak, my questions tripping over each other, anxious to get answers.

"Calm down, Bells, we have plenty of time to ask questions," he said, seeming delighted by the idea. I grinned before playfully punching him in the arm.

"What was that for?" Jake asked, mock rubbing his arm. I rolled my eyes, trying to act mad, but my smile betrayed me. I was just so happy I couldn't contain myself.

"For leaving me out of the loop!" I mock scolded. "If I'd known you were coming, I would've asked the teacher to share lockers, or rearrange my schedule to fit yours, or at least cleaned up a little!" I must've looked like an idiot, the only person besides my giant friend standing in the cafeteria, but I couldn't help it. All my previous stress had momentarily vanished. With Jake, it was like none of it had happened in the first place.

"What do you mean, clean up a little? You look beautiful, Bella. Just like the last time I saw you." He winked at me. My grin faltered, but stayed in place. I heard Alice and Rose exchange gasps behind me. I groaned as I thought of all their crazy assumptions they'd make. I guess I'd have to explain to them, like I had to explain to the entire student body in Phoenix, that Jake and I were just stable friends. Nothing more.

"Thanks, Jake. You don't look too bad yourself," I joked. I felt just a little uncomfortable when he draped his arm casually around my shoulders and pulled me into him. My brain was starting to get over the shock, and go into its normal paranoid mode. I could practically feel everyone's boring into my back; almost taste the curiosity and tension in the air. I wondered what my peers made of this huge new teenager and I, embracing like we'd...well, like we hadn't seen each other in a year.

"Are you enrolling in Forks High School?" I asked, the question slipping. I couldn't let that one go unnoticed.

"Bells, would I be in this cafeteria if I wasn't? Don't you think someone would've kicked me out by now?"

I shrugged. "Just asking."

"Let's leave the questions for later. There's too much to catch up on."

"Okay."

The room had gotten pretty quite, and it was just a tad awkward to speak to Jake like it was an oral presentation. Didn't my fellow classmates have something better to do than listen in on conversations? Jake didn't seem to mind or notice the audience. He kept his arm around me, even when I tried to shrug it off.

"So Bells, what's up here? Anyone here caught your eye?" Jake asked, trying to keep things light but also sounding somewhat reserved, as if he was afraid of the answer. I cringed as I thought of Mike and Eric and Tyler eavesdropping.

"I thought we were saving the questions for later?" I said, trying to avoid the feeling of stage fright, but also hoping he'd forget about it so I wouldn't have to try and answer it for myself first.

Alice, bless her, seemed to sense my sudden wariness and mouthed "I'll handle it." I sighed in relief, thinking everything would be settled. Alice always knew what to do.

Unfortunately, Alice's version of "handling" things was drastically different than mine.

Alice stood up, all four feet ten inches of her, and all the blood drained from my face. Oh god.

"Alright everyone, can't you see when two people want to be alone? If you're so interested in Bella's personal life, you can stalk her some other time. Now, if you would kindly return to your lunches and leave these two lovebirds alone—they have a lot of catching up to do, and I'm pretty sure they don't need a crowd."

_Oh my god. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. _I could feel my cheeks burning, and cursed internally. Not only had Alice just told the whole school a completely false rumor about Jake and I, but my blush made it look even more realistic. _Crap, crap, crap._

Alice winked at me before sitting down again, Rosalie giggling beside her. I could hardly move—Jake was tugging on my arm to sit, too, but my brain wasn't registering. It wasn't until he got up and pushed my head down that I sat.

Conversations were slowly starting up again, only this time in whispers. Obviously they were gossiping about me—I could only imagine Jessica's glee. Now she'd have yet another reason to torment me. I shot daggers at Alice, but she wasn't looking at me, and Jake didn't acknowledge it. He was still smiling at me.

No way was this going to simmer down. I would never be able to convince _anyone_ of the truth now, especially Alice. I could only hope that Emmett was absent—I didn't need him rubbing this in my face.

"Bells, Bella, are you okay?" Jake said, his voice ringing in my ear. I was hardly aware he was shaking me until I nearly fell out of my seat. He sounded concerned, which only made it worse.

"Jake, could you excuse me for a minute?" I asked mechanically. Without waiting for an answer, I got up and counted my steps out of the cafeteria, where I planned to take a trip to the girl's room for the rest of lunch.

While I passed, I took one more glance over my shoulder to confirm that everyone was watching me leave. And then my eyes caught onto someone.

Edward.

Except he wasn't looking at me—he was probably the only person _not_ looking at me. His troubled expression was staring at the floor, and, hate him as I might, I felt almost guilty. Because it looked like he'd been betrayed.

Betrayed by me.

—

"Bella? I know you're in here, Bella. Open up." Rosalie's voice demanded from the other side of the stall. Her stilettos were tapping impatiently on the floor, right next to Alice's flip-flops. I didn't answer, but tried to make myself disappear further into the confines of the small cell.

"I don't get why you're hiding in here, Bella," Alice said. "Jacob's still out there, waiting. He told us to check up on you,"

"Go away," I moaned. I wasn't in the mood for explanations right now—I just needed to think. _Alone._

"Quit whining, Bella. Jacob's totally hot and you're ignoring him!" Rose snapped. I laughed humorlessly. Of course Rose would say that.

Alice sighed. "Bella, was it something I said? Are you mad at me?" Her voice was small now, like she was hurt. I ignored the throbbing guilt in my head, the guilt that wasn't just from Alice.

"No, Alice, I'm not mad," I said. It was half true. Sure, now the entire student body thought Jake and I were an item, but that didn't matter, right? I could deal with that. But seeing that look on Edward's face...like I'd betrayed him...well, that I wasn't so sure how to handle.

The irony of the situation frustrated me. Here I was feeling sorry for _Edward_, right after he'd left me in the dust. He'd called me "nobody"! He'd referred to me as "just some girl"! And I was feeling guilty because he now thought Jake and I were dating?

That just didn't make sense.

If anything, _I _should feel betrayed by _him._ I should be rubbing Jake in his face right now, to make him feel even worse. Show him what he's missing.

"Bella, you're wasting time. Please come out." Rosalie urged. I sighed audibly but knew she was right, so I unlocked the door and stepped out, shamefaced.

Alice hugged me, though I didn't deserve it, and Rose followed. I put on a happy face for them. After all, today was a good day. Jake was here—here!—and for now that was all I needed. No one was ruining my day today.

—

Jake ended up leaving after lunch, since I guess he wasn't scheduled to join Forks High until next week. He hugged me again before his departure, squeezing the air out of lungs, before ruffling my hair and thanking my friends. His smile quickly turned stony as he focused on something behind me, but before I could see what it was, he started talking to me and I forgot about his angry expression until after he'd gone.

"Bella, I can't believe you never told us about your long-time lover," Rosalie scolded, accusations in her eyes. We were walking to our cars, or in my case, truck, and this was the topic of discussion Rose had been prompting me about. _Here we go._

"Actually..." I started, but Alice cut me off.

"Don't start saying he's not your boyfriend, Bella," she said, almost sounding smug. "I can tell a couple when I see 'em."

I rolled my eyes. "Obviously you can't, because Jake and I are just—"

Rosalie scoffed, interrupting me. "Oh _please_, Bella. By the way you acted in the cafeteria today, after seeing him? I'd say you've been going out for months—maybe a year, tops."

"Plus, you didn't deny my speech today," Alice pointed out. "I used the word 'couple' twice, I think."

_Because I didn't exactly want the whole school listening in on my current love status! _I argued in my mind, but didn't say anything. It was like convincing Charlie that rats were seriously harmless—impossible. Rose and Alice weren't budging on this topic, and I really didn't want to talk about it. And they said Iwas stubborn!

"Well, I'll see you guys next week," I said wearily, cringing as I thought of their assumptions getting wilder when Jake and I drove to school together on Monday. I probably shouldn't have agreed to his suggestion—it would only make the rumors even truer. But I'd missed seeing Jake every day before school, and that offer wasn't one I could refuse. Thank god it was a Friday, and I could escape this nonsense for a few days.

"Okay. We'll call you," Alice said, nodding at Rosalie and I. She waved before getting into her bright yellow Porsche—I told you Alice had no limits when it came to money—and speeding away. I laughed—what was with Alice and Edward's speeding obsession?

And then my mood became a shade darker. Edward.

No, I wasn't dealing with him in my head right now. I'd overanalyze his little behavior today later, in the confines of my room. I waved to Rose, passing me in her flashy Mustang, before getting into my own red truck. There was a line getting out of the parking lot, so I turned down the radio's volume, fading into background music, and whistled along to the familiar classical tunes.

I didn't even see him coming to my truck, but suddenly Tyler was tapping on my window. I tried to appear less annoyed than I actually was, but I could feel my face remain hard.

"Hey Bella, sorry for, um, interrupting," Tyler mumbled, obviously awkward. I wondered why he would possibly want to talk to me after the breakup—he'd been pretty upset about it at the time.

"Hi, Tyler," I said formally, edging the car forward the slightest bit.

"So, um, I just wanted to ask you if the rumors were true. Are you and that big Indian really...going out?"

Dammit. I _really_ didn't need this right now. And who the hell did he think he was, coming right up and asking me to confirm this rumor? No wonder I'd broken up with him—being nosy was one of his least pleasurable qualities.

"That's not really your business, Tyler," I replied frostily. What was going on up there? Why wasn't the line moving faster?

Tyler's face reddened. "Oh, sorry. It wasn't for me—I wouldn't butt in like that," he said, defending himself. What? It wasn't _unlike_ Tyler to butt into people's business...but apparently, someone else had asked him to...?

"Tyler, what are you implying?" I asked. He sighed, clearly uncomfortable.

"Some guy paid me to ask you if the rumors were true," Tyler explained, shamefaced. I frowned.

"Someone...paid you...?" Who could be that interested in my personal life that they'd _pay _for their own personal spy?

Tyler shrugged. "It was good money. Sorry, Bella, I won't bother you again." He started to leave just as the line started to move. Right, _now_ the line starts moving, when I'd rather it stood still.

"Wait, Tyler," I called. He came back, almost eager.

"Bella?" His eyes were expectant, as though he thought I called him back for my own personal gain, rather than for more information.

"Um...could you tell me _who_...paid you?" I asked hesitantly, not wanting my curiosity to seep through. He deflated a bit.

"Oh." He frowned. "I'm not sure if I'm supposed to tell you."

_Now _he chooses to be respectful?

"I'm not mad, I just want to know," I tried to assure him, looking him in the eyes and batting my eyelashes like I'd seen those models do on TV.

"Please?"

Tyler shrugged. "That weird dude, Cullen."

I froze. Edward had gone so low as to _pay_ Tyler for information about me? I swore under my breath, my curiosity replaced by anger. Angry at him, angry at myself. Why did he have to be so two-faced? Why did he make me feel guilty one minute, even when it wasn't my fault, and now he was making me aggravated?

I took a deep breath, continuing to look Tyler in the eye. "Well, could you tell him something for me?"

Tyler's face darkened. "I'm not a messenger, you know."

I sighed. "Fine, you're right. I'm sorry."

Tyler, satisfied that he'd won that argument, walked away. I growled as a car beeped from behind me—the line was moving faster now, and I could go forward. I was about to gun the engine, but saw again that bronze hair in my rear view mirror, getting into his silver Volvo. I narrowed my eyes as I imagined why he was so late to leave school. I turned and parked in an empty lot beside me, ignoring the angry honk behind me, and got out of the car. I wasn't dealing with Edward's crap until we settled it face-to-face.

He looked surprised and a little angry as I banged on the window to his car. Unwillingly, he rolled down the window.

"What do you want, Bella?" He demanded, his tone hard. I wasn't having that. I was the one who deserved to be angry today.

"Would you like to explain to me why the hell you didn't just come and ask me, gather what little courage you have and ask it to my face, instead of paying effing Tyler Crowley to ask your little question to me? Can't you be a man about it, instead of acting all sad and crap?" I didn't care that I was yelling at him even though he was right next to me, and that some teachers had stopped to stare at me. All I cared about was what the hell was going through Edward's head right now.

Obviously, he needed no further explanation. He must've understood my deranged question.

"Do you mind telling _me_ what the hell went on at lunch today? How you can just throw me away—throw _us _away—like none of it mattered? Like nothing happened between us?" Edward shot back, his green eyes on fire. I was so shocked I choked on my next sentence.

"You—you think _I'm _the one who threw everything away? You hypocritical jerk! Who was the one who went on and on with Tanya, calling me 'just some girl' on the phone the other day? Who didn't care two rat's asses about me because I'm 'nobody'?" I barked.

Edward stopped the car, his eyes murderous. "Isabella Swan, you're truly something. You don't have a guilty bone in your body, do you? What do you think it was like today, in the cafeteria, when my sister announced that you had a boyfriend all along? I'm guessing you knew the Indian from Phoenix, which implies, if I'm not mistaken, that you've been going out with him the whole effing time you've been here in Forks! And then you pull me into one of your superficial traps, fool me into thinking you actually care, and then snap the trap shut! Oh yeah, let's make Cullen think he actually has a chance with effing Bella Swan, and then pull it out from under him! I never would've guessed you that kind of person, Bella. You seemed so sweet, so pure. But now I know the real you—the one who cheats, lies, tricks guys just because she likes to play the game. I hope you have a good life with that kid—you two deserve each other."

And then, before my brain could even register the meaning of his words, he was off, the tires squealing as he sped out of the parking lot and out of sight.

I don't know how long I stood there, staring after his car, staring at nothing, before my subconscious started working. I went back to my truck and sat there for another twenty minutes, staring at nothing. Did Edward really think that horridly of me? Did he think I was so cruel that I'd fool him, toy with his emotions, and then let him go as if he'd never been a part of my life?

And more importantly, _was_ I that type of person?

I hadn't noticed that I'd started the car, but soon enough I was on the highway, crawling back to Charlie's house, and fighting tears the whole way there.

**Poor Bella. Stay tuned—I promise I **_**will**_** update very soon. I owe you guys! Thanks again.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks for your reviews! They are wonderful, as always. I love hearing feedback on my stories (: So here's chapter 8. I didn't make you guys wait **_**too**_** long, did I? Maybe I'm getting back into the swing of things.**

Disclaimer: I don't own _Twilight._

I couldn't help but replay Edward's betrayed expression in my mind that night. I knew that it'd hurt less not to think about him, but honestly, what else would I think about? He'd already altered my life and he hadn't been in it very long. I tried not to think about how much deeper I'd feel for him if he stayed. Because if he did stay in it, I knew my life wouldn't be the same. It might be forbidden, and it might go against high school's beliefs...and who knew if it would even last. He was obnoxious, and arrogant, and probably as scared as I was. He wasn't used to showing emotion, especially with someone like me. That alone was a huge risk—what if everything blew up in my face? How would he benefit me if he left? Certainly he'd grow tiresome of my presence; if not now, soon enough. How interesting could I be? I hated how attached I seemed to grow to him the more we talked. The need for him, to hear his voice, was sending me over the edge.

But I was willing to take that risk, to fall completely and irrevocably in love with him. I'd allow myself to open up, to become his, even if all the while that gave him power over me. The power to break me.

I'd just have to trust him enough with my heart to know he never would.

"Bella, can I come in?" Charlie asked quietly outside my door. He never usually pulled himself away from a game to have some one-on-one time with me, so this must be important. My curiosity overwhelmed me, as usual, so I gave him the okay.

"Hey dad, what's up?" I asked, a little awkward. I was in my bed, the sheets wrapped tightly around me, trying to block off the cold. And I wasn't talking about the cold temperature.

"Not a lot," Charlie said, awkward himself. He stood in the doorway of my room, smiling a little. "Just wondering how your day was."

It took me a moment before I realized he was referring to Jake's surprise. I grinned in spite of myself, though it didn't hold all of the exuberance I'd felt today. Edward had nailed some of that down.

"It was...well, a huge shock, as I'm sure you know. I was really happy to see Jacob."

Charlie's smile widened. "I'm glad. Renee had told me how close you two were, and I'm impressed that he planned all this by himself. He seemed like a nice boy when I talked to him."

"You talked to him?" I asked.

"Yeah, but only on the phone. Says he's staying at a friend's house in La Push, which is close enough. Says you're welcome to visit anytime."

La Push? My eyes widened. That was where his father, Billy Black, lived. I wondered why Jake didn't just stay with him.

Jake had lived with his older sisters in Phoenix, never really mentioning his parents. His mother had died when he was young, and when I asked about his father he sort of shut down. I didn't want to be nosy, so I hadn't brought it up again.

"That's nice," I said, excited that Jake was so close, regardless of who he was living with. Charlie nodded.

"Um...Jake's giving me a ride to school on Monday." I told him, so I wouldn't forget Monday morning and have Charlie shooting at an unfamiliar Rabbit.

Rabbit, as in the car, not the Bugs Bunny-type.

"That's nice," Charlie repeated me. I didn't have anything else to say, and neither did he, so we said goodnight and he closed the door.

I sighed, and sank into the mattress of my bed. Even with the news of Jake's whereabouts, I still wasn't fully satisfied. The only thing that would trigger that would be a clear conscious, and until Edward of I apologized and made up, my misery was going to be pretty damn persistent.

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of birds chirping. Not a thing you ordinarily hear in the rainiest town in the world, where birds are usually nonexistent. Lucky for them, they have enough common sense to migrate someplace warmer.

I went through my morning routine: shower, clothes, food. It was only when I was in my driveway at seven sharp, waiting for Jacob, that I realized it was Saturday.

I moaned and trudged back inside. This weekend was going to be long, guilt-ridden, and boring. I'd already finished my homework yesterday, in study, so I couldn't even have that pathetic excuse. Having free time to myself never worked out very well.

In my desperation, I called Rosalie, though I was pretty sure she'd be sleeping. Getting her "beauty sleep", as she put it, which I found downright hilarious because Rosalie was already the most beautiful thing in the world. If anyone needed improvement in that area, it'd be me—unmistakably plain, very pale...I sighed. Self-criticizing wouldn't get me anywhere today.

Just as I suspected, but Rosalie and Alice's phones were off. I growled, wishing I'd slept in as well. Now I had the whole day to myself, with nothing to do but mope. I guess I could've called my other friends, like Angela or Mike, but I wasn't really energized anyway. Not much addition to a party.

I cringed as another thought crossed my mind. He would probably hang up on me, but I had to try. If there were any luck in the world, in _my_ world, he would at least listen to what I had to say.

Without letting myself think about it too much, I dialed the Cullen's phone number. I wasn't backing out of it now.

Too bad I hadn't thought of what to do if someone else should answer the phone.

"Hello?" Esme's loving voice asked on the second ring. Alice's mother had so much love in her; she even called me "honey", as if I were part of the family. I gulped, not wanting my nervous tone to concern her.

"Hi, Esme," I greeted, trying to sound cheery. Inside, my stomach twisted and turned. Should I just ask for Alice? Asking for her brother seemed wrong...even though it was silly to think, it seemed like if I really _did _ask for Edward in Alice's house, it made the information that much more real, confirmed it, and I wasn't ready to face that yet.

"Hello, Bella. I'm sorry, but Alice is still sleeping—you know how late that one sleeps." She laughed softly, and I joined in, though mine came out more like a hysterical yelp. Luckily she didn't seem to notice.

"Um...actually, I was wondering if..." I couldn't bring myself to finish the sentence. _Coward._ Crap, crap, crap. My heart started accelerating, and I almost hung up the phone. But I didn't want to be impolite, especially to Esme.

"Yes, dear?"

"Um...is...is Edward there?"

She didn't answer for a long moment, and I wondered if I'd made a huge mistake.

"Mrs. Cullen?" I tried, afraid of the silence.

"Oh, sorry, Bella. I was just checking to see where he was. Edward's picking up the other line any second. And it's Esme, dear. Mrs. Cullen sounds like an old woman."

She laughed again, and I tried my best to join. In reality, I was praying that Edward would ignore the call and hang up on me. I didn't know what to say, or how to apologize even though I didn't necessarily need to. More like _he_ should be apologizing to _me_...but I guess I could see his side, a little. I needed to clean things up, or I'd explode from this tension.

"Esme, I got it, thanks," Edward said curtly. For a minute anger took over—how could he speak to such a kind woman that way, especially since it was his mother?—but I had more pressing matters. I'd yell at him later.

The moment Esme was off the line, I started hyperventilating. What should I say? How could I make him understand? Edward was silent, and the silence was even worse than if he'd been screaming at me.

"Edward?" I asked finally.

He exhaled sharply, and I was surprised that he'd be angry enough to hold his breath.

"Why did you have to call?" He demanded, and I cringed at his menacing tone.

"I want to explain myself," I said, cursing at myself as the words came out. That sentence sounded like I'd confirmed all he'd said about me in the parking lot.

"Save your breath, and my dignity, and don't call anymore. I don't want your apologies, or your sympathy."

I sighed. "Let me explain myself. You owe me that much."

My words triggered his anger.

"Oh, I owe you that? How did the situation suddenly reverse itself? You don't owe me anything, for toying with me all week, but now I suddenly owe you something? Because maybe I wasn't as honest as I should've been? Because maybe I was a little scared of the effect you had on me, the hold you had on me? Well I'm sorry that you feel that way, Bella, but I don't see how I owe you anything. I really can't talk to you anymore. I can't."

I was shocked. He thought I'd had a hold on him? He was scared? Where had all this come from?

His anger, for once, didn't spark my own. I went on calmly, like he hadn't interrupted.

"Edward, you have to understand that I'm not dating Jacob."

"Like hell you—"

"Hold on, let me explain myself. Please, just give me a minute. After you hear my story, you can go back to hating me. I'll stay out of your life. But...just, hear my story first, please. Before you make any decisions."

I held my breath, hoping he hadn't hung up already.

"Edward?"

He exhaled again, slower this time. "Whatever, Bella."

I closed my eyes. This was my chance of redemption. _Don't mess this up._

"Okay, Edward, but you can't interrupt. Just listen."

He didn't say anything, and I took it as a confirmation.

"I'm not going out with Jacob. In fact, I didn't even know he was coming to Forks until yesterday, when he was in the cafeteria. He was my best friend, back in Phoenix, but we never dated. I don't like him that way—not romantically. Alice just assumed that because...well, I don't know, your sister just complicated things a little. But now the whole school thinks we're an item. And you know what? I don't care. Let them think what they think. All I need to know is that _you_ know the truth. And that is the truth, Edward. I never used you or cheated on you. You meant something to me, and, remarkably, I guess I meant something to you. That's the truth."

My conclusion hurt by using the past tense.

He caught it.

"Meant?" Edward asked, still annoyed. His voice was good at hiding emotion—I hoped there was some sort of relief in it, too. He had to be a little relieved, didn't he? Or maybe he'd changed his mind before I'd had the chance to explain. I sighed. I guess I didn't serve anything less than what he was dishing out.

"I understand that I don't mean anything to you now," I said, my voice a whisper. I didn't know if I could manage my voice anymore.

"Bella..."

He trailed off, leaving my heart jumping frantically in my chest. _Spit it out, dammit! Don't leave me hanging!_

"I'm sorry," I said, and it sounded like I was begging. Like I was begging him to accept my apology, whether he wanted it or not, and forgive me.

"I told you I didn't want apologies," He replied, still void of emotion. I frowned.

"Sorry," I said again.

And then he did something totally unexpected, but that brought a breath of fresh air into my lungs.

He chuckled.

"You just apologized for apologizing. I don't know...that's quite a flaw. I don't know if I can accept."

I laughed, just because I could hear his beautiful voice again, free of anger and sarcasm. He was joking with me again—that had to mean something, didn't it?

"I...suppose I accept. But on one condition."

"What?" I said, a knee-jerk reaction. I'd do anything.

"Alice is making breakfast, and I need an escape fast, before I start eating something that may not be edible."

"Can't you have cereal?" I teased.

"She's making pancakes," he challenged. "She already hid the cereal boxes."

Always thinking ahead, that pixie. I laughed.

"Well...I guess if your life is in danger, then I can help. I have Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Honey-Nut Cheerios at my house."

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

I grinned, surprised but unbelievably relieved. The knot in my stomach was gone, and my conscious was clear.

"I'll be here." _As long as you want me to be._

He laughed and hung up.

And I was on Cloud Nine.

--

"Good morning," Edward said, smiling. I gasped. He was standing in the doorway, and the sunlight sparkled off him. He looked so beautiful, standing there, like...like an angel.

I grinned at him.

"So, since I've saved you from a potentially traumatizing meal, do I get something?" I asked, gesturing him in.

"What do you want?"

"Hmm..." I pondered as I got two bowls and spoons out for us. He sat in Charlie's seat at the kitchen table, looking like a Greek god. I realized I might just be lucky after all—what other explanation would grant me this fortune?

"I guess I'd just want a promise," I said as I sat across from him, watching the cinnamon squares fall into my bowl.

"That's it? I thought you'd want something more demanding...lifetime of servitude, or something along those lines."

I shook my head, a small smile playing out on my lips. "I'm more of a low-maintenance girl."

He shrugged. "I figured."

"But you just said—"

"What's your promise?" He interrupted, watching me, his eyes searching mine.

I averted my gaze, embarrassed. A blush crept onto my face, and that made my blush harder. Damn Edward for making me feel so self-conscious.

He laughed. "What? Is it that bad?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, I'm not blushing at _that_."

His brow furrowed. "Oh."

I sighed. "I guess I'm just embarrassed you have that kind of effect over me."

His features softened. "Why?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I never really expected you, of all people, to be in my kitchen, eating my cereal in my house."

I was afraid suddenly he'd get the wrong impression, but my worries were unnecessary. He just laughed.

"You make it seem like I've stolen your breakfast and home from you against your will."

"Oh, no, no, no," I backtracked. "I didn't mean it that way. I just meant—"

He held a hand out. "Kidding, Bella."

I blushed again, cursing internally. "Oh."

Edward smirked. "So, are you going to tell me your promise or not?"

"Well, it's not mine, exactly. It's yours. You have to promise me something."

He was suddenly wary. "It depends on what it is."

"It's not bad," I said quickly. He shrugged, allowing me to continue.

"Well...just, promise you won't judge me. Even if you hear something that you assume to be true, always let me have a chance to explain. You know I'm a horrible liar. So, my promise is that I'll always tell you the truth. All you have to do is give me permission so I can do just that."

My expression must've turned serious, because he laughed at me. I rolled me eyes but grinned.

"Just answer me, please?"

Edward, still laughing, nodded. "I promise." After another moment he added, "You know I was just laughing at your expression, not at what you said."

I nodded. I still couldn't get over how weird this was, eating breakfast on a Saturday morning with Edward Cullen like it happened all the time. I never in a million years would've predicted this.

It was even weirder that I hoped it would never end.

**Finally, things are all cleared up! Please don't eat me—Jake will be in the next chapter. Tell me what you think by clicking on those big green letters underneath ;)**


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